Your first visit
90 minutes, and most of it is not what people expect. Nothing is done without being explained to you first, and you can stop at any point.
How the 90 minutes are spent
The intake takes up a third of the appointment on its own. That is deliberate — in Chinese medicine the diagnosis comes out of the detail, and the treatment is built from the diagnosis.
Licensed Chinese medicine practitioner and acupuncturist
- First appointment
- 90 minutes
- Follow-up
- 45–60 minutes
- Monday – Friday
- 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
- 30 minutes
A proper conversation
Joy asks about far more than the thing that brought you in — sleep, digestion, energy, temperature, stress, your cycle, your medical history and any medication. The pattern is in the combination, which is why this part is not rushed.
- 10 minutes
Looking and feeling
Reading the pulse at both wrists, looking at the tongue, and palpating the area that hurts. This is the diagnostic step that shapes everything that follows.
- 40 minutes
Treatment
Usually needling, often with heat, cupping or hands-on work. Needles stay in for twenty to thirty minutes while you rest — most people find this the part they look forward to.
- 10 minutes
A plan you can hold on to
What to expect over the next few days, how many visits it is likely to take, any herbs to start, and two or three concrete things to do at home before you come back.
What to bring
- A list of your medication and supplements, including doses.
- Recent test results or scans, if you have them to hand.
- Loose clothing that can move above the elbow and knee.
- Something to eat beforehand — an empty stomach can leave you light-headed.
Afterwards
Most people feel relaxed and a little sleepy for an hour or so. Some feel an immediate change, others notice it over the following two or three days. Both are normal.
Take it gently for the rest of the day where you can, drink water, and keep whatever you have been prescribed by your doctor exactly as it is.